tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire , from 1520 to his death in 1566
added to his dominions by conquest Belgrade, Budapest, Rhodes, Tabriz, Baghdad, Aden and Algiers. He fought a war with Venice, and his fleets dominated the Mediterranean, although he failed to capture Malta.
In February 1536, he concluded an offensive and defensive alliance with Francois I, King of France, this treaty, known as 'The Capitulations', altered the entire balance of power in the Mediterranean.
In 1543 the Turks began their seizure of the defensive line of Transdanubian castle-forts. For instance, György Zapar was forced to abandon the castle and village of Szapar in Hungary soon after, in the face of an imminent Turkish assault. By 1552 Szapar was in ruins, the village and castle deserted.
He died during the siege of Szigeth in his war with Austria. His system of laws regulating land tenure earned him the name, 'Kanuni' the lawgiver. He was devoted to 'Roxelana', his Russian consort, was a great patron of arts, wrote poetry and employed Selim Sinan to build such architectural masterpieces as the four mosques to himself and to members of his family in Constantinople. He was the greatest of the Sultans.